Coaster toy



D. BENLON 2,479,715

COASTER TOY Aug 23, 1949.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1946 Aug, 23, 19 49; I D. BENLON 2,479,715

COASTER 'lQY Filed Oct". 18, 1946 3 Sheets-Sneet 5 5g I Inrenmr Z8 Dewey BenZon A tmmeys Patented Aug. 23, 1949 1 UNITED STATES PATIENT. OFFICE COASTER TOY Dewey Benlon, Kansas City,Mo.

Application October 18, 1946, Serial No. 704,202

2 Claims. (Cl. 104-53) The present invention relates to a coaster toy adapted for use by children and more particularly to an inclined track for use in coniunction with a mobile vehicle adapted to be ridden by a child.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a track which is capable of being easily adjusted for positioning either end thereof in an elevated position so that the mobile vehicle may be ridden in both directions relatively to the track and so that after the vehicle has been propelled by gravity from one end to the opposite, lower end, said last mentioned end of the track may be elevated for depressing the first mentioned end and so that the vehicle may then be propelled by gravity in the opposite direction.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away and illustrating a preferred embodiment of the coaster toy in an operative position;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the same looking toward the righthand end of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the track and base with the mobile vehicle removed therefrom;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the base, with the track removed;

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal, substantially central sectional view through the mobile vehicle or wheeled truck and showing the vehicle in an applied, position;

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of the truck and track taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 'l'-1 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the track and showing a portion of one of the wheels of the truck disposed in a recess thereof, and I Figure 9 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a part of the track and with an end cleat removed therefrom.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the toy coaster in its entirety is designated generally l0 and includes a wheeled vehicle or truck, designated generally H, a track for the wheeled vehicle or truck, designated generally l2, and a base for supporting the track, designated generally l3.

The base [3 includes a pair of corresponding blocks or end members M which are located at the ends of the base l3 and which are connected by a longitudinal beam IS. The ends of the beam seat in upwardly opening recesses 16 of the blocks l4 and are-secured therein by fastenings IT, as best seen in Figure 4. A pair of bars l8 are secured to the upper side of each block I4 and parallel to the beam I5 and on either side thereof, as best illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.

The track, designated generally f2, includes a pair of laterally spaced substantially parallel bars l9 which are disposed in substantially the same plane and which are connected at their complementary ends by transverse cleats 20, which are secured to the under sides of the bars l9 by fastenings 2| and which retain the bars IS in laterally spaced apart relationship so that the adjacent longitudinal edges of said bars will combine to form a slot 22 therebetween and which extends longitudinally of the track [2. A relatively thick strip of cushioning material such as rubber, designated 23, is secured along the inner longitudinal edge of each cleat 2|] and is accordingly disposed transversely of the track l2 and with the intermediate portions of each strip 23 disposed just beneath and transversely of the slot 22.

A rod or pin 24 etxends longitudinally through each cleat 2i} and beyond the ends thereof. A pair of rigid links 25 are connected to each rod 24. Said links 25 are pivotally mounted at corresponding ends thereof on the rod 24 between the ends of the cleat 20 and the side edges of the track I 2 and the headed outer ends of the rod 24. The opposite ends of the links 25 are pivotally connected to the exposed ends of a rod or pin 26 which extends longitudinally through the block 14 of the end of the base 13 and which is adjacent to the aforementioned cleat 20. It will thus be readily apparent that each end of the track I2 is swingably connected to the complementary end of the base l3 by a pair of the rigid links 25 and a rod or pin 24 and 2B.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 1, the track I2 is of a length greater than the length of the base 13 so that when one pair of links 25 is in an upright position, as seen at the right-hand end of Figure 1, the other pair of links 25 will be in substantially a horizontal position and extending beyond the opposite end of the base l3, for supporting the opposite, left-hand end of the track l2 in a depressed position. Each pair of the links 25 is connected by a cross .bar 21 which is secured to the outer edges thereof and which is disposed to engage a supporting surface on which the blocks l 4 are resting when the links 25 thereof are in substantially a horizontal position, as illustrated in' the left-hand end of Figure 1. The bars 19 of the track 12 are preferably provided with brace strips 28 which are secured to the under sides thereof and adjacent their outer edges and which extend to adjacent the cushioning abutment members 23. Said brace strips 28 have portions which rest on the strips 18 of the base 13 when an end of the track I2 is in its normal, depressed position, as illustrated in dotted lines at the left-hand end of Figure 1.

is provided with two pairs of depending forks 31,.

including a pair of forks arranged above. each of the track rails or bars 19 and a roller 32" is journaled between the forks of eachipairzof forks 3| and on an axle 33, the ends of. which are anchored in the forks, so that'th'e vehicle Hisprovided at each end thereof with a wheel engagin each of the bars or rails 19.

-A supporting; brace Skis disposed longitudinally beneath the platiorm 29} and secured at its endsto the intermediate portions ofthe undersides of the cleats SG and isprovided, intermediate. of. its ends, with-a depending flange or web 35- which extends downwardly into the slot 22 and which is provided with an opening 36, ad: jacent its bottom free edge. A retainingbar 31 is secured longitudinally against the bottom edge of/the flange sfifbymeans; of. a bolt 38 which extendsthrough. washers 39 andv 46, through the bar: Sland the bottorn edge portion of the flange Shinto the openingtfi and-which isprovided with a. nutJll on its threaded shank end and which is disposed inthe opening 36, and by means .-of which the bar 31 is securedto the flange 35 .The brace 3 l=is preferably formed of metal and the washer 39, which lamp-shaped, is preferably formed of rubber to-provide a shock absorbing means in case said parts strike a part of the base during movement of the truck H onthe track. l2.

The ends of the bar 31extend't0 substantially beyond-the. ends-of the fiange ,35 to receive the lower ends =ofa painof rods 42 The rods 42 each have aportionwhich extends through the longitudinal brace 3d and-anoppesite, upper endportion 43 which is lapped and thereby anchored between the pl atformzdeandlthe bracetd: Each rod-624s alse-provided with alapped portion 44, intermediate of the braced l qand bar, 31 and between which-and .said. bar {Haroller 45-is j ournaled onthsrod-QZ; The roller 45 is thus journaled on each rod d2 ,,-as-seen in Figure 5, betweenthebar 31 and the lapped-portion, so that the two longitudinally spaced rollers 45 are positioned to move in the slot-22ior engaging the inner. edges-f! the rails :or bars- 1-9. for' guiding the truck; .duri-ng its movement from end to end of; the. track. 12;. 'IihewashenordiskAll is-of a diameter. substantially'greaterthan the width of 1 the slot 22 and accordingly functions to prevent disengagement of the. truck H from the track. 42 and disengagement ofpthe rollers 45 from theslotiug Assuming that the coaster toy; is assembled and disposed as -se'en-in Figure 1, the truck or vehicle l -lwill i be retained at. the upper end of the. track liby, reason of-the. fact thatthe rails l9-are provided withr-ecesses-dB-adjacent each end thereof-toreceivethe' rear on uppermost rollers 32. and. .to thus provide a-wheel lock which will prevent l the. truck from coastingdown the inclined .tr'ack-l 2 until .the rider; has seated himself. upon. the. platform: 29 and has: manually moved the rear wheels 32 out ofengagement with the recesses '46; It' willlbefreadi ly apparent that the truck l'liwill'then roll on the rails. l9.to the "lower end o-ftheltrack lfi. at which time the. for- "ward end 1 of the. bar. '31 will strike the: resilient 1 abutment strip 23 for stopping the forward progress of the vehicle II. The child may then lift the lower end of the track l2, and at which the vehicle H is located, forswinging said end onthedinks 25 to an elevated position and with the links 25 disposed substantially perpendicular or in a position to correspond to the position of the links 25 at the right-hand end of Figure 1.

* Zikewise, this will cause the right-hand end of thetiackl2; as seen in Figure 1, to swing downwardly and to the right to assume a position corresp'onding tdthel'eft-hand end of the track I2,

as seen in Figure 1. The child may then ride the truck l l' in the opposite-direction and in the same manner as previously described.

"Therails or bars 19' are madeidentical on both games so'th'at'shouldlone side of the rails 19b6- come worn, the cleatslfl anda'b'utmen'ts 23 can be removed and applied'to the opposite side thereof after which the rails can-be inverted; For this reason; theends of'ib'oth sides o'fthe'rails l are provided with therecess'es llijas indicated'by'the fragmentary bott'oingplanr View of corresponding of'the. rails 19} as illustrated "in FigureSI The track l2and base 'l3may, be made in various length andrvariou's other modifications and changes are contemplatediand may obviously. be resorted to, without departin iromfthe spirit'and scope of'the invention as hereinafter defined by the app'endedcla'ims.

I claim:

1. In an inclined runway'for: toy wheeled vehicles or th'ellike", a-rigid'basea rigid track disposed over the base, rigidilink means swingably connecting the ends of. the track to the com'plementary'ends' of'th'e base, said t'r'ackbeing lon er than the base whereby when one endofthe track is dispose'din' anelevatediposition over the complementary en'd o'f'the base,.the opposite end of the trackwill'b'e in a loweredposition with respect to 'sai'd 'first mentioned end and disposed beyond the opposite end of 'the base, andagravity propelled. vehicle mounted for movement 'in either directibn on saidtrack.

2. In an inclined runway for toywheeled vehicles'or the like; an elongated rigidbase, a rigid link pivotallyfconnected at' an end thereof to each en'd'o'f the base, 'a'n'da rigid-'trackdisposed over the base of a-length in excess of the length of said base; 'sai'ditrack bein'gfp'ivotally connected at it's endstothe opposite, free ends of said rigid links; whereby "either? end'of the track may be disposedin'amelevated position directly overthe complementary endbffthe base and-with the link, associated therewith disposedin substantially an uprightpos'rtionjandlfor positioning the opposite end of the trackf be yond'andinengagement 1with he 'oppositeejndfof "the base and at a lower evel:

, DEWEY BENLON.

' REFERENCES CITED v The -fol-lowing references are of record in the filerofthispatent-z H 

